Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek – Review

In the secluded village of Maple Creek, you awaken following a powerful storm with no memory of what happened or why you are there. With a nearby house seemingly abandoned, you begin to scavenge for clues as to what occurred previous to your awakening and, in the process, discover that something more sinister awaits.

The setup for Enigmatis: The Ghosts of Maple Creek is simple but it leads to a tale of murder, mystery and the occult. Developed by Artifex Mundi, Enigmatis is a point and click adventure game that often incorporates hidden object puzzles to gain new items and tools that can be used to solve a range of puzzles.

Originally developed for mobiles and ported to Xbox One, it is blatantly apparent that the game doesn’t have the production values of other console-based games, with the majority of the game being based around static environments and a very simple set of mechanics. Having said that, if you are willing to look past the mostly terrible voice acting and character models, Enigmatis is a relatively fun puzzle game that can easily kill a few hours for anyone looking for a slower, more casual experience for consoles.

Throughout the 3 to 5 hours of the game, you move between a number of locations solving puzzles, gathering items and uncovering the mystery that is constantly present within Maple Creek. Fans of traditional point and click games will be right at home as the many puzzles require you to use items you have found within the world, offering a reasonable challenge while never requiring you to be a genius making for a relaxing pace that has you constantly progressing.

Due to the very casual nature of the game, Enigmatis is instantly accessible offering easy-to-learn gameplay and a generous hint system that helps push you in the right direction or, if you are completely stuck, allows you to skip entire puzzles. For those looking for more of a challenge, a harder difficulty is available that allows you to play the game with hints disabled and penalties that are applied when solving puzzles incorrectly. While I played on the easier difficulty, because I was looking for a quick, simple experience (also read: I’m a wimp), the optional difficulty option is a great addition for more hardcore puzzle gamers.

Unfortunately, the game is not without issues; most of which stem from its obvious beginnings as a mobile game. While the mystery element of the game constantly drives you forward and is paced in a way as to slowly expose the truth, the story is otherwise fairly basic and, in places, can only be described as nonsensical. An arbitrary and undercooked supernatural element weakens the mystery as, not only does it make no mechanical difference, it isn’t explained significantly enough to add to the story. While most people won’t play this kind of game for the story, it does put a stain on an otherwise fairly well done mystery.

Another misstep is the games inconclusive final moments. Clearly setting up a sequel – Enigmatis 2 is already out on mobiles – the conclusion has you solve the mystery only to have your victory be undermined almost instantly. While the game tries to convince the player that your time hasn’t been in vain – you are told that peace will at least return to the village – it’s very hard not to be annoyed when you know that, despite the developer’s encouraging words, your adventure isn’t over unless you pay extra money for the sequel, whether it be via the events of the game or the ‘To be continued…’ message that pops up before the end credits.

Those looking for high quality 3D graphics and great audio may be disappointed by the game. Mostly taking place in hand-drawn 2D environments, graphically the game is what you would expect from other hidden object games. However, when being approached by the occasional NPC, the games mobile beginnings are painfully distinct. Animations are very simple with facial movement that is perhaps some of the worst on consoles with mouths moving unnaturally as characters robotically script read their lines at you. Any of the thankfully rare encounters with another character are lifeless, emotionless and consistently cringeworthy. When buying the game for £3 on mobile, these technical weaknesses are forgivable, but as a £7.99 release on a console with the technical capabilities of the Xbox One, it is a shame that additional development time wasn’t used to improve these for the console versions.